Archery bows, by their very nature, are physically difficult to cock, aim and fire due to a large tension of the bow string. When hunting for game, it is a frequent occurrence that between the time a hunter sights the game and properly cocks the bow, the game has disappeared.
Therefore, many hunters are forced to hold the bow in a partially cocked condition for great periods of time. This causes great stress on the hunter's muscles, and concomitantly can interfere with the hunter's aim. This is especially true of a compound bow which may be extremely difficult to cock.
A cross bow can be mechanically locked in a cocked position; however, cross bows are illegal in many areas.
Therefore, the art has included devices which can be used in conjunction with a long bow-type weapon to keep that weapon in a partially cocked position. However, these devices are often cumbersome to set and do not react quickly enough to completely satisfy the needs of a skilled hunter, especially if the game is quick at hiding. Some of the known devices may even interfere with the hunter's sight after they have released the bow string. This will create further drawbacks and problems.
Therefore, there is a need for a pre-cocking assembly which can be used on a compound archery bow and which will reliably hold the bow string thereof in a partially cocked configuration, yet which will quickly and reliably release that bow string, and will quickly move completely out of the way after releasing the bow string.